The other stepsister
by Be Rose
Summary: ONCE UPON A TIME there was a girl called Aurore whose mother died when she was three. A year later her father married a widow with two children. Oh, you think you know the story, do you? Fairy godmother? Magic tree? Don't be silly. This is how it really happened Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

**Two husbands and a grandmother**

ONCE UPON A TIME there was a girl called Aurore. When she was three years old her mother had a riding accident and died. A year later her father decided that his child needed a mother and married a widow with two daughters, Bernardine and Clotilde. The stepmother, Régine, was a beautiful looking woman: tall, round in all the right places without being fat, with pale blonde hair and pale grey-blue eyes. She wanted a rich father for her two daughters and had married Aurore's father because he lived in a big house with plenty of servants.

To begin with everything seemed fine. The three girls grew up like sisters, played like sisters, were naughty like sisters. Whenever Aurore's father thought the naughtiness of the girls had gone too far he would punish his daughter or give her a good telling off, depending on what she had done. Madame Régine had insisted that she would punish her daughters herself but Bernardine and Clotilde were spoiled by their mother. She never corrected their bad behaviour in any way. She also taught them to be haughty and impolite to the servants and their governess. In her eyes this was acting in a superior way. Bernardine and Clotilde soon discovered that they could always blame Aurore which they frequently did, even if she had tried to stop them. Eventually Aurore had enough of this. She saw it saddened her father that his daughter seemed to be the instigator of the, sometimes wicked, pranks that were played on the staff.  
"They'll never be my friends," she thought. "They only want me near so they can blame me for everything. No more! I won't be their scapegoat any longer."  
From then on Aurore kept away from her stepsisters as much as possible. She spent more time in her own room or with her father who, over the years, taught her everything she needed to know to run the estate

Ten years passed by quickly. The three girls had become pretty young ladies. Bernardine, who was the eldest, was tall and slim with the pale blond hair and grey-blue eyes of her mother. Clotilde, the youngest of the three, was fairly tall as well and pleasantly plump. She had the same colour eyes as her mother and sister but her hair had a reddish touch to it. Aurore on the other hand was small, petite, with dark hair and big, brown eyes that sparkled with golden lights.

While her stepmother was dreaming of the day her daughters would be old enough to go to party's, Aurore was looking after her father. He had unfortunately become seriously ill and Aurore hardly ever left his bedside. They often talked about Aurore's mother.  
One day her father said: "I fear I did the wrong thing, marrying Régine. She never acted as a mother towards you. And her daughters haven't become the sisters and friends I hoped they would be. I didn't want you to be a lonely girl, and I fear you often are."  
"Don't think that father. It wasn't as bad as that. They weren't always obnoxious and I had you. I loved spending time with you."  
"Thank you for that, Aurore. At least I don't have to feel guilty about you."  
He sighed. Aurore knew he felt guilty because he hadn't married Madame Régine out of love but to give his child a new mother. She couldn't tell him that her stepmother wouldn't be heartbroken about that. Just days before she had overheard Madame Régine complaining that her husband's illness lasted too long and that paying for the medicine and doctors was all a waste of money. Aurore didn't want to upset her father, so she just said:  
"Don't worry about Régine, father, I'll do right by her."  
This visibly calmed him down. Unfortunately all the doctors and medicine, all Aurore's efforts were to no avail. He died shortly after Aurore's fourteenth birthday.

Madame Régine hoped that now finally she could lay her hands on her husband's money and spend it more freely than he had done. When the will was read, however, she learned that he had no money at all but had been living on the income from his work and an annuity that was given him by his first wife. This ended with his life. He had saved some money for his second wife and her children but all the rest, including the house and its contents belonged to Aurore. To add insult to injury she wouldn't even be Aurore's guardian. The stepmother nearly fainted. She cried out, "What am I to do? We'll be turned out in the street without any money! My children will die of hunger!" and she sobbed in a melodramatic way.  
"Don't worry," Aurore told her. "You were my father's wife and we've been family for ten years. You can all stay with me in my house."  
While she answered: "Thank you child, you're an absolute angel. Bernardine, Clotilde, thank and kiss your sister." Madame Régine was already calculating how much money she could wheedle out of her stepdaughter.

* * *

For a while they lived in Aurore's house. However, Madame Régine was disappointed in the amount of money that came her way. Every expense had to be sanctioned by Aurore's guardian who had been financial adviser to the estate since her mother inherited it. Madame Régine wanted money of her own.

Barely a year after the death of her second husband she married again. This time she made sure of her catch. Her new husband was again a widower with a child. But he was also a rich man and master of his own money. As an added bonus he was a count so that the stepmother now was Countess du Bellefleur. She had told him such a heart-breaking story about her kindness to Aurore that the count was absolutely certain that he had found a good mother for his daughter as well as sisters of the same age. Unfortunately, as soon as the new countess saw Sandrine, the count's daughter, she hated her. Sandrine, or Cindy as her father called her, was undoubtedly more beautiful than either Bernardine or Clotilde. Cindy's hair was de colour of molten gold and her eyes were as deep blue as the sky on a cloudless summer's day. She was petite like Aurore and all in all, looked like a fairy.

Countess du Bellefleur kept her cool and was extra friendly to Cindy. The count was pleased with his choice. In fact, he was so pleased that before long he had changed his will and left everything he owned to his new wife in the firm believe that she would take care of his daughter in the event of his untimely death.

* * *

Time moves quickly. Two years later everybody said what a good marriage this had been for the count. His daughter Cindy and Aurore had become great friends. They liked to go riding or walking in the surrounding woods while Bernardine and Clotilde were more interested in clothes and jewellery. The count was generous, so they spent most of their time looking in the mirror how beautiful they were in their new outfits.

Then an unexpected letter came for Aurore from Dame Emelyne, her maternal grandmother. She wrote the following:

'My dear granddaughter,

For many years I wanted to write to you, but my husband, your grandfather forbade it. He never forgave your mother for marrying without his consent. That the man of her choice was not wealthy angered him even more.

I heard from friends, who knew your parents, that they were happy together and many a time I tried to persuade your grandfather to let bygones be bygones, especially after you were born. He would not relent.

Two months ago, my husband died and I now feel free to ask you to come to me. Please, forgive an old woman and make the remaining years of my life happy.

Your loving grandmother,

Dame Emelyne.'

Of course Aurore could not refuse this and after a tearful goodbye she went.

Dame Emelyne was so happy when her grandchild arrived. She wanted to know everything about Aurore's childhood and in turn told Aurore everything about her mother's youth. Now Aurore was told the story of her parents; how they had met and fallen in love; her grandfather's rejection of the match because he had wanted a wealthy husband for his daughter and her mother's defiance, leaving the safe environment of her home to marry the man she loved. For the first time she heard about her great-aunt Sophie, sister of her grandfather.  
"Sophie had been forced to marry a wealthy man, very much older than she was," Dame Emelyne said. "Her marriage had been a nightmare and her husband's sudden death a liberation that left her a wealthy widow. Unfortunately she could no longer marry the man she loved and she never remarried. Hearing of your parent's plight she decided to help them financially and made them the sole beneficiaries of her will. I saw Sophie one more time after this. She told me that your father was a proud man. When he heard about the will he made Sophie change it so that her money would go only to your mother and after her to the children they might have. When he heard about the will your grandfather refused to see your mother or his sister ever again. "

Aurore's grandmother lived in a fine house in a sleepy, little town where news was already old by the time it arrived, if it made the town at all; where the latest fashion in the shops was last year's and too much finery was looked upon as cheap. So far Aurore's only example had been her stepmother and her taste was more for the ornate. Here with her grandmother Aurore developed a taste for simple elegance, which she preferred to ostentatious splendour for the rest of her life.

Regular as clockwork she sent letters to and received letters from Cindy. Then suddenly she stopped getting replies. She wrote to her stepmother to ask if anything was wrong with her friend but the countess answered that all was well; Cindy just didn't want to write anymore. Aurore thought this very strange, but she could not leave her grandmother alone. The old lady wanted to make up for all those years of longing for her granddaughter. So Aurore stayed with her grandmother.

Their peaceful life could not last forever. The joy at finally having her granddaughter with her had weakened Dame Emelyne more than all the sorrows of a whole life. A month after Aurore's nineteenth birthday she went to have a rest in the afternoon and didn't wake up anymore.

Aurore didn't have any family left except her stepmother and stepsisters. Not a very cheering thought. There were also Cindy and her father though; Cindy, who had become a friend, and her father, who always treated her as one of the family and not as the stepchild of his second wife. Cindy had stopped writing because she had been bored by it, according to the countess. And when had her stepmother ever told the truth, Aurore thought. If Truth were a brick wall she'd still walk right through it. For old times sake she had to find out why Cindy had stopped writing. That was the only reason she needed to go back. If it didn't work out she could always return to her grandmother's house.

After the funeral of her grandmother Aurore wrote to her stepmother and asked whether she could come back. She had decided to address the letter to the countess rather than to the count because he wouldn't feel slighted by this, but she was likely to say no, just because she wasn't asked first. She received a reply by return mail. Of course she could be back, the countess wrote, she would be pleased to see her again and her sisters Bernardine and Clotilde had missed her so much. When would she be back? The countess would arrange a welcome feast for her. No mention of Cindy.

The reason for this uncharacteristic warmth was Aurore's money, increased even by the inheritance from her grandmother. Régine knew that she always had given as freely as she could to pay for the dresses for her and her daughters. Now Aurore no longer had to ask her guardian if she wanted to spend money and it was sorely needed.

But why was it needed if she had married such a wealthy man?


	2. Chapter 2

**Cinderella**

Terrible things had happened while Aurore was away.

Because his new wife and her daughters had spent so much money on clothes and shoes and make-up and hairdressers and so on, the count had been in need of more money and had set out to do some trading overseas. The last letter he had sent to his wife spoke of success in his enterprise and hope of soon seeing her and his dear daughters again but the count had not returned. Nobody knew what had happened but it was supposed that a storm had sunk his ship and that everybody on board was missing, presumed dead. This meant that according to the law of the country the count's estate was tied up for ten years or his body being found, whichever came first. Until then his widow would receive a minimum pension.

Before his departure he had given his wife a small fortune but the countess and her two daughters had already spent so much, that she had decided to economise. She had done this by getting rid of most of the servants. Then she had called Cindy to her room and had said to her, "I'm sorry to say that your father is dead. This means that you are now a penniless orphan and you need to work for a living. My daughters and I have agreed that you can stay here and work for us. We will give you something to wear and you can sleep in the kitchen. You will clean the house, make sure the fires are on in the morning, bring us breakfast in bed, prepare the food for lunch and dinner, do the washing and the ironing, keep our clothes in order, help me and my daughters to get dressed and coifed and do anything else any of us tell you to do. Is this understood?"  
"No, I don't understand. I live here; I am not a servant. This is my father's house."  
"Didn't you hear me? You're an orphan. You're penniless. This is now my house. You should be pleased that I let you stay here. I'm your legal guardian and can send you away when and where I will; to work in a factory, to stay in an orphanage or a school for incorrigible girls. I can even tell you to go and sleep in the street. Do you understand?"  
"Yes," whispered Cindy.  
"Good, now do what I tell you and go to the kitchen, NOW!"  
Poor Cindy. She had gone to the kitchen; the cook had been the only person still there. She had put her arms around the girl and had told her that her father might not be dead.  
"Stay here, miss. If your father is still alive he will come here. If you're sent away he might never find you. You'll have to be strong. Don't let madam upstairs worry you too much. It will be alright in the end."  
"Please, don't go. There will be nobody here except them. Please, stay," Cindy had asked the cook.  
And the cook had said, "I would stay but the countess won't give a reference to anybody who is still here after midday. I cannot afford not to have a good reference." Then she had gone.  
The worst part had been when the countess and her daughters had come in the kitchen. They had forced Cindy to get undressed and had given her some rags to wear. Her nice clothes, even though they didn't fit the stepsisters and would need an incredible amount of alterations, had been divided between Bernardine and Clotilde as were the rest of her possessions.

Since that day Cindy had worked like a slave for her stepmother and stepsisters. She wore a torn dress with a piece of rope for a belt and a frayed cloth with which she had to cover her hair. The one pair of shoes she had, she kept for winter. Her bed was a sack of straw in the kitchen. She never had a minute to herself. The whole day long, from morning till evening the three women called her, "Cindy, come here and help me", "Cindy, do this", "Cindy, do that" and because she often looked dirty from all the work, they had started to call her Cinders, or Cinderella if they were particularly nice. They thought this a fantastic joke.

And then Aurore returned.  
Her stepmother and stepsisters greeted her warmly and then Countess du Bellefleur made it clear that there was no money.  
"Oh, my darling stepdaughter, I'm so glad you are back. Bernardine and Clotilde have missed you so dreadfully. We'll have to tighten our belts a bit more now that you are here, but we'd suffer happily for the pleasure of having you near. It has been so difficult since the count's death. And nobody wants to give me the money because his body has not been found. What am I to do? How am I to raise my children? How are they ever to find a decent husband if they cannot go to the right parties? I cannot let them go in the rags they are wearing."  
The crocodile tears were streaming down her cheeks. Aurore had become wiser and recognised the feigned affection of her stepmother and her daughters. She decided they were not going to pluck her like a fatted goose.

Just as Aurore was about to ask why Cindy wasn't there, a girl in rags came into the room carrying a heavy tray. At first Aurore didn't recognise her, and then, "Cindy! Is that you?"  
"Cindy? Ha! Cinders more likely," said Bernardine.  
"She is the worst servant imaginable," said Clotilde.  
The cups on the tray rattled a bit when Cindy put it down.  
"Watch what you're doing," shouted the countess. " Go back to the kitchen before you break something, you clumsy little fool."  
Cindy quickly ran out of the room, before the countess could hit her.  
"What happened to Cindy? Why is she dressed that way? Why is she serving us? Where are the servants?"  
"Don't interfere with how I run this household. I had to let the servants go because I could no longer afford them. After her father's death Cinders had the choice to stay here or go away to earn a living. She decided to stay and is repaying my kindness by replacing the servants. After all, she is not my child; nobody can force me to keep her. If you don't like this you can go as well."  
Suddenly the countess realised that she might loose any chance of getting some of Aurore's money this way. She was relieved when Aurore said she would rather stay.

Tea was served and the countess and her daughters started chatting away about the new shops in town and the newest fashion and so on. Aurore meanwhile was thinking what she could do to make Cindy's life easier. She realised why her friend had suddenly stopped writing to her. She looked at her stepmother and stepsisters sitting there in all their finery. They could easily have shared with Cindy. Then it suddenly dawned on her why Cindy had been treated so shabbily. The girls were now old enough to think about getting married. Bernardine was 20, Aurore was 19 and Clotilde and Cindy were both 18. Of course the countess could not allow any competition for her daughters and Cindy had always been the prettiest of all. The disappearance of the count had given his wife an unexpected opportunity to lose the biggest danger to her daughter's chance of catching the most eligible bachelors themselves. Aurore with her dark hair was not considered a rival at all. After all … gentlemen do prefer blondes.

It wasn't until the next day that Aurore could talk to Cindy. While her stepfamily was away to look at the latest dresses that had just arrived in town she went to the kitchen. There she found Cindy hard at work doing the washing up.  
" Cindy, I want to talk to you. Could you please, stop for a moment?"  
"I can't stop, Miss Aurore. But what can I do for you, miss."  
"Don't call me miss. We were friends, Cindy. What has happened to our friendship."  
Cindy stopped and dried her hands. She looked at Aurore.  
"Would you still be friends with me? Despite what the countess says?"  
"Yes, of course," said Aurore. "You're my friend, my sister. Much more than Bernardine or Clotilde ever were. I've come back for you. You're all the family I've got left."  
A moment later the girls embraced.  
"Oh, Aurore, it's been so terrible," sobbed Cindy and she told her friend everything that had happened since she had gone away.  
Then Aurore thought about what she could do to help Cindy.  
"I wish I could give you your rightful place back, your clothes and your room, but I'm afraid that the countess won't agree to that. If we could leave together I would, but our stepmother is your guardian and would never allow you to go away with me. She doesn't want to lose a cheap servant."  
"She cannot know that you help me."  
"That's for sure. … Listen, this is what I thought we could do. I shall tell her that I will pay all the household expenses – I'm sure she'll accept that. Then we'll arrange for the washing and the ironing to be done for us. We'll get cleaners to do the house and a gardener for the garden; they can come when the countess and her daughters are out for their beauty treatments. And then we'll look for somebody to do the sewing and mending. With the rest of your tasks I'll help you whenever I can – when they're not at home breathing down my neck. I'll also make sure you get some decent clothes to wear and a better place to sleep than the kitchen floor. How does that sound?"  
Cindy was full of joy at the thought that she would not have to slave night and day anymore.

That evening Aurore suggested to her stepmother that she would pay for the running of the household out of her own pocket.  
"If I'm allowed to run the household by myself, I may save some extra money that you can use for outfits for Bernardine, Clotilde and yourself. And you'd be able to use all the money you get each month as well. It's the least I can do after all you've done for me."  
Of course Countess du Bellefleur immediately agreed with everything when she thought about the extra money she could spend on herself and her daughters.  
"I'm glad you realise what I've done for you," she said, "and I'm glad you know how to be grateful."


	3. Chapter 3

**Eric and Conrad **

And that was that. Aurore ran the household. At the end of each month she gave her stepmother some money, saying: "This is what I managed to save this month for you." And because of this the countess never questioned how she organised things. She never realised that Aurore had arranged for hired help to do as much as possible. This meant she and Cindy had time left to take up their old pastimes, riding and walking.  
The countess, Bernardine and Clotilde were unaware of the changes that Aurore had made to Cindy's life.  
Bernardine once said, "It looks like Cinders has got a new dress." But nothing was made of it when Aurore answered, "It is just one of my cast-offs."  
"Don't give that lazy creature too much," was all that the countess said.  
"I thought it was better for the image of our house if the front door wasn't opened by a beggar girl, that's all," replied Aurore to this.  
That satisfied the countess and she remained in blissful ignorance about the friendship of the girls.

One day when out in the woods Aurore and Cindy were observing a doe and her young grazing in a clearing. They kept quiet so the animals would not be disturbed. Then Aurore saw a little movement. The doe had noticed something too; she lifted her head. Then Aurore saw an arrow pointed at the mother. She felt a loose piece of sod and without thinking got up and hurled it towards the arrow, shouting. The two deer ran away and Aurore started running, pulling Cindy along. They heard cursing and soon the hunters were in pursuit of a new prey. The girls had a head start and ran as fast as they could, but being hindered by their dresses, they hadn't reached the entrance to their garden before they were caught.  
"What did you think you were doing? You spoiled a perfect shot," said the first man.  
"You shouldn't shoot females with young. Anyway, only the king is allowed to shoot in these woods."  
"Don't you know who this is? This is…"  
The second man interrupted, "I'm the head of the king's hunters. This is my friend and colleague Conrad. My name is Eric."  
"I don't care who you are." Aurore was furious. "You have scared my sister to death chasing us. Look, she's nearly crying."  
"We're sorry." Eric looked at Cindy. "We didn't mean to frighten you that much. Conrad was just sore because he hasn't had any success in weeks. And this seemed a sure shot."  
"It's alright, I'm not frightened anymore," said Cindy. "I'm sure Aurore didn't want to spoil your friend's shot."  
"Oh yes, I did," said Aurore and looked Conrad defiantly in the eyes. He looked at the little fury with the blazing eyes and started laughing.  
"I will gladly forget it, miss, if you and your sister will spend some time with us."  
The laughter had shattered any anger Aurore felt. She wished they could stay to get to know these men better. They seemed decent enough, better by far than the idiots her stepmother sometimes invited to meet her daughters. So with deep regret she said, "We cannot stay. We are expected to be back before eleven. I'm sure it's nearly that time."  
"Could you come tomorrow?" asked Eric. "We can come here any time you want."  
"Can we, Aurore? I would very much like to," said Cindy, blushing a little.  
"Not tomorrow, but we could come the day afterwards."

And so the four young people arranged to meet again. They talked a lot about their likes and dislikes, books, music, plays but also more serious things were discussed. Strangely enough neither the men nor the girls said anything about their private lives. The girls only knew they were meeting Eric and Conrad, hunters of the king; while the men thought Cindy and Aurore were governesses or teachers because they had to be back at a certain time.

To see more of their friends Aurore decided to fulfil a dear wish of the countess. Often since the disappearance of the count, she had heard her stepmother sigh: "I feel so tired lately. I need to recover from this terrible ordeal that hit me. And Bernardine and Clotilde look so sickly these days. It will affect their marriage possibilities."  
When she noticed Aurore's surprised look, she added: "You're lucky, Aurore. You don't have to worry about that sort of thing. You already know you'll be an old maid. There's nothing anybody can do to make _**you**_ look more attractive."  
On another occasion she had wailed: "My poor girls. They could do with a week's rest and treatment. And I'm too exhausted to help them. If I only had the money to take them to the Eastend health resort. "  
Aurore knew full well these lamentations were just an act. Countess Régine wanted Aurore to feel sorry for her stepmother and stepsisters and pay for the holiday. If it hadn't been for the meeting with Eric and Conrad, Aurore wouldn't have dreamed of gratifying this expensive wish. Now she could only think of the freedom the absence of the three women would bring to Cindy and her. The timing could not be better either. The birthdays of Countess Régine, Bernardine and Clotilde all fell within the space of a week in the same month, the next month. Aurore arranged everything, the coach to take them, the overnight stay in the best inn, the rooms in the best hotel in Eastend and as many beauty treatments as they wanted or could have in one week. She told them the good news one morning at the breakfast table, a fortnight before they were due to travel.  
"I know it's early but I've got your birthday present already. It's for the three of you. A week's holiday at the Excelsior hotel in Eastend with all treatments included."  
Bernardine and Clotilde started screaming: "Eastend! The Excelsior!"  
"Girls! Behave!" the countess said sternly. To Aurore she fake-sweetly said: "That's very nice of you, Aurore, but what treatments did you order? You should have seen me in this. I could have advised you."  
"You can have anything you want, stepmother. It's a week all-in at the Excelsior. Any food, any drink, any treatment is yours for the asking."  
Bernardine and Clotilde really started screeching now, and even Countess Régine seemed satisfied. Just to be difficult she said: "I don't know how we're going to do this. We can't leave Cinders in charge of the house. She'll more than likely do something stupid like burn the house down or she'll run away with all the valuables."  
"I thought of that too," said Aurore. "I stay here to look after the house. You know I don't like to waste money and you yourself said I was beyond help."  
Now even the countess was satisfied. She looked pityingly at Aurore and said: "Poor child. You're right. Thank you for the gift."

Two weeks later they were gone and a week of freedom lay ahead for Aurore and Cindy. They met Conrad and Eric every day. From the beginning it had been clear that Eric and Cindy had fallen in love at first sight. Now that feeling blossomed into a deep mutual love.  
Conrad and Aurore had become close friends. Conrad loved to tease Aurore or make her laugh. Anything to see her eyes sparkle, with annoyance at him or joy, he didn't care. He was sure of his love for Aurore but couldn't make out if she felt the same. Aurore kept her feelings in check. The poisoned barbs of her stepmother had wounded her, even if she didn't show it. There were times she did wonder if perhaps she wasn't attractive enough. Conrad too was not as outspoken about his feelings as Eric. For the moment both were satisfied with their friendship.  
Far too soon to their liking the week was over and they were back to seeing each other for a few hours now and again. The countess and her daughters brought back enough washing and mending to keep an army of workers busy for a week. Aurore secretly hired more help.  
The extra bills the countess gave to Aurore without a trace of embarrassment she paid without flinching. Knowing her stepmother and stepsisters as she did, she had expected nothing less.


	4. Chapter 4

**Cinderella's first ball**

Three months after their holiday the countess and her daughters came back from town in high spirits.  
"Apparently the king is organising a magnificent feast for his son's twenty-fifth birthday and all the best families in the land will be invited," said Bernardine.  
"We'll need new clothes and jewellery, won't we mother," said Clotilde.  
Both girls were jumping up and down with glee and the countess was no less enchanted with the idea of new, expensive clothes.  
Sure enough, two days later the official letter was delivered. It read:

The king and queen have the honour of inviting  
Countess du Bellefleur and her daughters  
Bernardine, Aurore, Clotilde and Sandrine  
to the ball in honour of  
the 25th birthday of their son  
prince Eiríkur.

The countess read the letter at breakfast and Aurore immediately said, "Does this mean that Cindy can come too?"  
A storm of protest was the answer.  
"Mother, she cannot be serious. That filthy girl cannot come with us."  
"She'll embarrass us, mother, and the prince won't come to us."  
"We won't have enough money to buy anything decent for ourselves if we have to dress her too."  
"She's just not fit to be seen in public."  
"Quiet, girls," answered the countess. "I'm sure Aurore didn't mean it. Did you now, child?"  
"It was just a question as her name is on the invitation."  
"I'm sure that is a mistake. The king and queen cannot have known about her reduced circumstances or they wouldn't have invited her. This invitation is only meant for my daughters and me and of course you, Aurore, as my stepdaughter. So nobody will mention Cinders name anymore in connection with the ball, or tell her that she is invited. After all, we don't want to give the girl false hopes, do we."  
The three girls answered, "Yes, Mother; No mother," in agreement, but Aurore was already thinking about a plan to include Cindy despite her stepmother's orders.  
First she asked the countess: "Could the seamstress in my grandmother's village make my dress? She knows the sort of thing I like. And it would be cheaper. The money I save can be added to the spending money of Bernardine and Clotilde."  
Of course any scheme that meant more money for her little angels always found favour with the countess.  
"Of course, my dear," she said. "You'll only be sitting in a corner all evening anyway."  
Then Aurore wrote two letters. The first letter was to the seamstress with precise descriptions of the two dresses she had to make. She wrote: "The dress in green silk is to be sent over in time for the ball. The other dress has to be brought here on the day of the ball. Mr. Dodier will contact you with further details."  
The second letter she wrote to Mr Dodier, her financial adviser with instructions for the day of the ball.

Despite their mother's orders Bernardine and Clotilde told Cindy about the invitation to the ball. They delighted in disappointing her.  
"Can you imagine? Your name was actually on the invitation. But of course you're not allowed to go. We can't be seen with the likes of you."  
Cindy went to her stepmother and begged her, "Please, can I come with you to the ball. Just to look at the guests. Please, oh, please."  
"I'm not taking a bag of Cinders to the ball with me. I won't be the laughing stock of the town."  
But as Cindy kept asking her she finally said, "You can go if all these tasks are finished," and handed a long list of useless tasks to Cindy. Then she gave the girl a big sack of peas and continued, "When you finished your tasks, I want you to sort this sack of peas by hand. When that is finished, and not before, can you go with us to the ball. Now go and do your work."  
It was hopeless and Bernardine and Clotilde, who had heard everything, sniggered. That would stop Cinders from being a nuisance at the ball.

Aurore had heard and seen everything. She waited and waited until finally late that day the countess and her daughters went into town to buy some more jewellery for the ball. As always she found Cindy over her ears in work.  
"Cindy, I've come to talk about the dance next week."  
"I cannot go. Look at how much work I still have to do."  
Aurore grabbed the list and read it. The most urgent jobs had already been done. Then she said to Cindy, "There are only a few items left that really need doing. We can certainly finish them before next week. The rest are just jobs stepmother wrote down to make up the list. The spare rooms for instance, the cleaner has only done them this week. She won't notice if you skip that or any of these." And Aurore crossed out most of the items on the list.  
"What about the peas that need sorting?"  
"I've already taken care of that. We'll swap this bag with a bag that's already sorted. She doesn't know what we already have in the storeroom. The bag of unsorted peas I'll take to someone who'll be glad with them."  
"Then I'll be able to go with you."  
"No, you won't. She'll find something else for you to do. But this is what we'll do."  
And Aurore told Cindy what she had planned to get her to the ball.

It was a very simple plan. On the day of the ball Aurore left with the countess, Bernardine and Clotilde for the ball. The coach was well on its way to the castle when another coach arrived drawn by six beautiful white horses. The coach itself was creamy white with gold decorations and had once belonged to Dame Emelyne. Inside were three people: Aurore's adviser with his wife and the village seamstress. They had brought a magnificent dress with matching shoes and anything else that was needed to get a girl ready for her first ball. The two women helped Cindy to get ready. Then they told her that she had to be home by twelve o'clock, as they had to be back in the village by morning. Cindy could hardly believe that she was really on her way to the ball sitting in the sumptuous interior of cream leather and cream velvet cushions.

Meanwhile the countess had arrived at the ball. Sparkling in competition with the crystal chandeliers she entered the room, followed by her daughters equally decked out in too much glitter and glimmer. They went straight to the royal party and were introduced, "Countess du Bellefleur with her daughters Bernardine and Clotilde."  
"Your Majesties, I'm so honoured to be here. My daughters could hardly sleep; they are so exited about meeting His Majesty, the prince."  
The girls giggled and their mother gave them a look that would have frozen a volcano.  
"Why don't you start the dance with one of these pretty girls," said the king.  
"If you insist, father."  
The prince did not enjoy this ball at all. All these girls that looked at him like a cat at a mouse. He didn't want any of them for a wife at all. From what he had seen so far, not one could put a coherent sentence together. And now he had to start the ball with a walking Christmas tree. He reached out his hand towards Clotilde, who had a more genuine smile, but Bernardine pushed her sister out of the way, grabbed the proffered hand an dragged the prince triumphantly to the dance floor. And so the ball started.

Aurore, who'd come in after her stepsisters, was looking up at the splendour of the painted ceiling when a man's voice said, "Can I have the first dance, and the second, and the…"  
"Conrad! I didn't know the king's hunters would be invited as well."  
"It's because of the overwhelming amount of girls who want to become the future queen. The king needed men to console the disappointed candidates. I hadn't expected you though. You never looked like a prince-hunter to me."  
Aurore could hear he was disappointed.  
"I didn't come for the prince. I came for the decor. My father told me that this is the most beautifully decorated castle in the country."  
"It is. I'll show you around."  
The relief in his voice nearly made her laugh out loud.  
"Ok, after the first dance and the second dance and…" Devilish lights glittered in her eyes. Conrad led Aurore to the dance floor holding her tight. Nobody was going to take her from him. Dancing with Aurore to the enchanting music of a waltz, Conrad was overwhelmed by his feelings for her and gently kissed her hair. She looked up at him. No, he wasn't mocking her, or teasing her. Finally Aurore knew her stepmother had been wrong. Not every gentleman prefers blondes.

The ball had been going an hour. The prince had done a quick tour of the floor with every eager prospective bride. He was sitting with his parents begging them not to make him choose a bride from among the assembled beauties. Not one had interested him. He looked at the candidates standing around. He looked at each and every one of them and then he saw the most beautiful woman in the world. A queen, surely, who outclassed the rest with ease. The prince went to her, invited her for the next dance, and never changed partners again.  
It was close to twelve when they stopped dancing. The prince wanted to introduce her to his parents but she said she had to go. She quickly slipped away. The carriage was waiting. The mysterious queen stepped inside and the coach left. She disappeared in the night without a trace. The prince didn't even now her name.

Soon after the ball ended. When they arrived home the countess and her daughters found Cinders asleep in an easy chair in the kitchen. To vent her anger at the strange queen who had spoiled the ball for her girls, the countess shook Cindy awake and slapped her so hard, that the red mark of her hand took two days to disappear. For a moment Aurore feared that Cindy had been seen at the ball. She soon knew that was not the case. The countess and her daughters couldn't imagine that anybody would dare to defy their orders.


	5. Chapter 5

**The mysterious queen and the lost shoe**

The next day brought a new invitation from the palace. Another ball was organised for the following week.  
"Another chance for Bernardine and Clotilde to catch the prince," thought the countess. "That foreign queen won't dare to show her face after the way she just disappeared."  
Of course the countess insisted that the whole family needed new, more splendid dresses for the next ball.  
"And that includes you, Aurore," she said. "You owe it to your sisters to look like a sister-in-law to a prince."

Aurore again wrote a letter to her seamstress and one to her advisor. Cindy received a new list of tasks from her stepmother, as well as a bag of lentils that needed sorting.  
"If you work a bit harder than last week you might get your chores done and then perhaps you can come with us to the ball."  
To make absolutely sure that Cindy could not go Bernardine and Clotilde had some more tasks that needed doing "with absolute urgency. Did you hear us Cinders? Mucky Cinderella."  
With Aurore's help the two lists were soon reduced to one list with jobs that really needed doing and the two girls soon got through those. The lentils didn't need sorting at all as Cindy and Aurore found out. On the day of the second ball Cindy was keeping herself busy with some futile job for Clotilde when the countess left with her daughters and Aurore. Dame Emelyne's cream and gold coach arrived not long after the coach of Countess du Bellefleur was gone. Cindy was again dressed in a sumptuous dress and told to be back by twelve. She promised she would and left for the ball.

Conrad and the prince were waiting near the entrance. Every party that entered was quickly ushered past the prince and into the ballroom. The countess saw the prince at the entrance and said, "How nice of you to welcome my daughters personally. My Bernardine was so honoured that you chose her to open the ball. I hope you'll find her worthy of that honour again."  
Conrad took Aurore by the hand to claim her for every dance. He saw the prince's peril and said to Aurore, "Look, Eric has problems with the countess. She won't leave him alone. Somebody will have to rescue him."  
"Eric? And the countess? What does she want Eric for? She's only interested in the Prince."  
"He is the prince."  
"But the prince isn't called Eric. I saw his name on the invitation."  
"He's called Eiríkur after a Viking ancestor, but he prefers Eric."  
"He's not a hunter then, like you. Or is that a lie as well?"  
"I'm not a hunter, I'm Eric's personal servant and his friend. Now I have to help him to get rid of that woman." And Conrad led the countess with some force to the ballroom.  
When he came back Aurore had a question.  
"If Eric is the prince, why was he courting Cindy? Or was she just a pastime? I have heard that the prince is in love with some beautiful queen."  
"I don't think he meant to toy with Cindy, but last week when that queen arrived … It was love at first sight for him. About midnight she suddenly disappeared and now he is waiting for her, hoping she'll return."  
Midnight, thought Aurore, that's when Cindy had to go. Could it be her?  
Then the beautiful queen arrived. The prince immediately went to her to greet her and together they entered the ballroom to start the dancing. Aurore had recognised her friend. She didn't have to worry about Cindy.

It was a wonderful evening. The prince and Cindy danced all the time. It was nearly twelve o'clock when a servant tried to catch the prince's attention. The king and queen invited their son and his partner to meet them. When the prince turned around to ask her, the mysterious queen had disappeared again. When the countess and her daughters came home, they found Cindy in the kitchen asleep with a dress that needed repairing in her lap. This of course was a good enough reason for the stepmother to vent all her anger and frustration on the poor girl again.  
"You lazy, good-for-nothing, little tramp. I don't know why I let you stay in my house. As soon as I have turned my back you start to sleep. You filthy beggar, out of the goodness of my heart I gave you a roof over your head. And this is how you repay my kindness. "  
She would have gone on until morning but Aurore reminded her of the fact that there would without any doubt be another ball the net week.  
"The prince is still looking for a bride, so I think we should have our beauty sleep. Don't you think so?"  
"Oh! Of course! Bernardine! Clotilde! Quickly, to bed, and don't forget your facemasks, my darlings. I want you to look your absolute best next week. And you, Cinders, you finish that dress before you go to bed. You'll be severely punished if it isn't done tomorrow morning."  
"Don't worry, I'll make sure she does. I'm not feeling too well, so I'll stay up a bit longer."  
"Yes, you do look dreadful, Aurore. And with your dark hair and brown eyes you look plain at the best of times."  
As soon as the three women had gone Aurore quietly asked Cindy, "Do you know whom you danced with all night?"  
"I danced with Eric. Who else? Why do you ask?"  
"Don't you know? Eric is the prince … and you are the mysterious queen everyone is talking about."  
"Oh no! It can't be! What's going to happen now?"  
"One day he'll come to take you away from here and marry you."  
"But I'm just Cinders now, a kitchen maid. He'll never marry me."  
"No matter what has happened to you, you are still Sandrine du Bellefleur, only daughter of the count du Bellefleur. It is not your fault that our stepmother refuses to do her duty by you. If there is another ball next week then I'll make sure that you can go."  
"If he thinks I'm a queen that means he doesn't even recognise me."  
"Don't worry, Cindy, he will. Anyway, it's a good thing nobody recognises you. Just imagine what _**she**_ would do if she knew."

At the palace Conrad found Eric sitting on a chair in the ballroom, staring in the distance.  
"Hey, can I talk. I need to ask you something."  
Eric didn't move, just said: "Sure, you can ask me anything."  
Conrad sat down next to Eric, facing the same direction. He daren't look at his friend while he asked: "Actually it's Aurore's question. She'd like to know if you were just toying with Cindy."  
Eric turned to face Conrad.  
"I told her you didn't mean to. I'm sure you didn't but … well … did you? Toy with her?"  
Eric sighed, turned back, looking at the wall opposite as if he was hoping to see the answer there.  
"I thought I had found the right girl for me. Cindy is just … But when _**she **_appeared … she's a queen and Cindy … Sometimes I think I still love her and then I try and picture her and … I can't. All I see is that queen, looking at me, smiling at me. … God … listen to me, I don't even know her name and … I have to ask her, Conrad. I want that woman to be my queen. … And yet … we've had such good times together; you and Aurore, Cindy and me … as if it was meant to be."  
Conrad kept quiet. There was nothing he could say to help his friend. This was a problem Eric had to work out on his own.

* * *

As expected, news of a third ball at the palace spread round the town and a third invitation arrived at the du Bellefleur house. The countess asked Aurore for more money to dress her daughters and herself for this important occasion. She also took all the household money for that month and said, "A bit of fasting will do us good and once Bernardine is queen, we can eat all we want."  
Aurore allowed the countess to take the money. For herself and Cindy she dipped in her own piggybank. While the countess and her daughters ate dry bread and drank plain water, Aurore and Cindy still had nice meals.

Cindy, who wanted to meet the prince as herself and not as a mysterious queen, asked again whether she could go to the ball with the rest of the family. The only reply was three lists of chores, one from her stepmother, one from Bernardine and one from Clotilde. On the morning of the ball, the countess came with a bag in which she had mixed the peas with the lentils and a good shovel-full of ashes. She gave the bag to Cindy and said, "Cinderella, if you finish all your work and sort these peas and lentils you can come with us to the ball." Then she left the kitchen. Cindy could hear the countess and her daughters laughing outside the kitchen and sighed.

Of course Aurore had already taken care of the lists. At midday she brought a sack of peas and a sack of lentils and together the girls filled a sack of ashes.  
When it was time to leave for the ball, the stepmother entered the kitchen to see what Cindy was doing. It looked as if she was still sorting the peas and lentils and, pretending to be kind, the countess said, "My poor girl, I'm so sorry that you didn't finish your jobs." And in her normal voice she added, "Did you really think that I would let you go to the ball, sooty Cinderella? You look so filthy. People would think I had brought the chimney sweep. Now you make sure there is nothing left to do when we come back from the castle." Then she left with Bernardine, Clotilde and Aurore.

Aurore and Conrad immediately disappeared to the garden. They didn't need anybody else. The prince only needed his queen and once Cindy had arrived, he didn't let go of her for a moment. They danced every dance together and forgot the rest of the world existed. But time hadn't stopped for them. The clock struck twelve and the spell that love had woven was broken. Cindy looked around, saw that it was indeed as late as she feared and tried to get away. The prince held her hand.  
"Please, don't go."  
"I must go. I can't stay any longer. Please, let me go. "  
The queen had seen that something was not right with her son. She went to him and asked him what the problem was. This distracted the prince and Cindy managed to get away. The prince ran after her. He saw his mysterious partner run out of the palace and down the staircase towards her waiting coach. Then Cindy stumbled and lost her shoe. She turned around to pick it up but the prince was too close, so she left the shoe, ran to the coach and got inside. The coach drove away at full speed and the prince saw it disappear into the night. He picked up the shoe and went inside.  
"She's gone. She just left her shoe. I still don't know who she is or where she comes from."  
"You'll have to marry somebody else then," said the king. "I can't keep organising these parties so that you can meet with this woman. There are more important things I can spend that much money on. Schools for instance, or hospitals."  
"I'm sorry father. The only woman I want to marry is the one who wore this shoe."  
"As you wish. Tomorrow we'll go to every family that was here tonight and the first girl that fits this shoe will be you bride."  
"But, father…"  
"Don't 'but father' me. That is my decision and that is final. You've had enough chances to ask your mystery beauty to be your wife. Now you are going to marry the girl that can wear this shoe."

The prince tried to persuade his father to give him another week but the king was adamant. When the guests heard the king's decision they rushed home to bathe their daughters' feet in ice-cold water so they would shrink and fit the shoe. And none ran quite as fast as the countess and her daughters. They left so fast that they forgot Aurore was still in the palace garden and Conrad had to take her home on his horse.  
Inside the house the countess was trying every trick in the book to make her daughters' feet as small as possible: iced water, slimming creams, strange and smelly mixtures of herbs and god-knows-what. When Bernardine and Clotilde were finally in bed, their feet thickly smeared with cream, wrapped in a layer of cloth soaked in the herb-mixture and packed around with ice, Aurore had some time to talk to Cindy.  
"What happened tonight?"  
"I forgot the time and when I ran away I lost my right shoe. It was so late when I was back here that your people went away without the dress. I stuffed it in your trunk together with the shoe. I had just reached my bedroom when our stepmother arrived and I had to bring ice and herbs and all sorts of things to wrap our sisters' feet in. And why did you arrive later?"  
"Oh, they forgot me at the palace. The prince is to marry the girl that can wear your shoe. That's why Bernardine and Clotilde are trying to shrink their feet."  
"That shoe could fit anybody. What are we going to do?"  
"Don't worry, Cindy. I'll think of something."  
Aurore wasn't sure what they could do. If it came to it she would send Cindy to the castle dressed in the ball gown, wearing the one shoe, to ask for the other one.


	6. Chapter 6

**The shoe fits – but does the girl**

The king wasn't stupid. He never thought that the shoe would only fit the right girl. He was tired of arranging weekly dances and wanted his son to get married to any girl, preferably one that didn't run away all the time. The very next day he sent out two of his officials and the prince's servant, Conrad, to all the girls in the country. If the shoe fitted, the girl was to be brought to the palace immediately.

Whether by Conrad's design or cheer luck, but the first name on the list was Countess du Bellefleur. The Countess virtually pulled them inside and said, "I see you have my daughter's shoe. She will be so pleased." Then she called Bernardine to try on the shoe. Bernardine managed to squeeze her foot in it but when she had done three steps, she cried out in pain and pulled the shoe of as quickly as possible.  
"Madam, it doesn't seem to be your daughter's shoe after all," said the first official.  
"My mistake. This shoe belongs to my second daughter."  
Clotilde was called and put the shoe on. Proudly she walked round the room and as far as the front door. Then, with a wail, she kicked the shoe across the room.  
"Another mistake, madam?" said the first official.  
"Any other daughters who've lost a shoe?" said the second official.  
Very reluctantly the Countess called Aurore who didn't want to try the shoe on. The officials however, insisted; every girl had to try on the shoe. Of course the shoe fitted nicely but Aurore didn't want to go.  
"You're making a mistake. I'm not the girl you want."  
"Shut up, you stupid girl," said the Countess. "This is your chance to become a princess and future queen of the country. Think of all the dresses and jewellery you will have."  
"I don't want to marry the prince. I don't love him."  
She looked at Conrad pleadingly but all he could say was: "It is according to the King's wishes."  
All her protestations didn't help one jot. With her stepmother's assistance, the officials put Aurore in the waiting coach and took her to the palace. Her only comfort where the words Conrad had whispered: "I'll talk to the king."  
At the palace Aurore was shown to a nice room where she could get ready to meet the prince.  
"If you need anything just ask Conrad. He'll get it for you," said the first official and then he went to tell the king of their success.

Aurore wanted to call Conrad but he wasn't outside the room. When he finally arrived she asked him to come inside. She wanted to kiss him, wanted him to kiss her like they had done in the garden the previous night. He held her off.  
"We can't. You're Prince Eric's bride now."  
He didn't look happy.  
"It's not as if it's my fault that that shoe fits me."  
"You didn't have to try it on. You knew it wasn't yours."  
"Tell that to my stepmother. You saw how she forced me. Between her and those two stiffs I had no choice."  
"I'm sorry." Conrad held her tight. He didn't want to lose her.  
"You have to tell the king that I'm not the girl he is looking for. You can tell him I was with you all evening."  
"I have tried that already. But he doesn't listen. He wants Eric to get married and he doesn't care who the bride is. If the shoe fits, the bride is found even if it isn't the girl Eric loves."

Aurore thought hard. It was up to her? What could be done? Then she thought of the silly plan she had had the night before. Cindy wearing the one shoe, Cindy and the dress. It might work. It had to work. The happiness of four people depended on it.  
"Tell the king that I want to get dressed for the occasion and that I need my personal maid to do my hair," she said to Conrad. "Then go to our house and bring Cindy and the trunk in my bedroom here. If my stepmother has any objections, give her the same reason as the king."  
The king had no objections. The countess said, "I'm glad she has come to her senses. Take whatever my darling stepdaughter needs."

When Cindy heard this, she feared that Aurore had betrayed her. That she only wanted the trunk with the dress and the other shoe to prove without a doubt that she was the missing queen. That she, Cindy had to be there to look on as Eric was taken from her. She couldn't tell anybody the truth. Who would believe a mucky kitchen maid? While Conrad went to fetch the trunk, Cindy got into the coach. She hid her face, trying to keep back the tears.  
When they arrived at the castle Conrad took the trunk in the room and said to Cindy: "Your mistress is in there." Cindy hurried past him into the room, keeping her head down so he wouldn't recognise her. Before Conrad closed the door she asked him, "Could you tell the king that I want to see him before I meet the prince? Tell him anything you want about me; tell him I'll scream, I'll throw things around the room, make it sound as if I'm the worst of harpies, but make sure he comes. For all of us," she added and gave him a quick kiss.

As soon as Conrad had closed the door, Aurore fished the left shoe out of the trunk and put it on. She gave Cindy the right shoe and said, "Put this on. We're going to give that king more than he bargained for; two brides for his son. And if all else fails, we have the dress that fits you a lot better than me."  
Then she saw Cindy was crying silently.  
"Hey, girl, what's the matter? This is no time for tears. Come on, smile. You're about to see your Eric again."  
"It was so horrible," Cindy said, drying her tears. "I heard the countess say 'finally she's come to her senses. And then Conrad asked for the trunk. And I thought you wanted to be queen and marry Eric. I know, I know, I should have known better. But, oh, Aurore, you don't know what these last weeks have been for me. Being in Eric's arms one moment and being slapped and shouted at the next. I couldn't think how this could end happily – I still can't – and I want it to so much."  
Aurore just held Cindy. She didn't chide her for doubting her friend. She understood that the countess' treatment could have that effect on a person. Aurore remembered how carefully she herself had studied Cindy before deciding she was not like her stepsisters. With Conrad she had so carefully hidden her feelings and, thank god, it hadn't been too late when she realised he loved her. Yes, the countess could be a blight on anything that was good and precious.  
When Cindy had dried her tears and wiped her face the girls waited for the king. Hand in hand they stood there, a united front against fate as it tried to separate them from the men they loved.

The king was reluctant to comply with Aurore's demand. Conrad, knowing his happiness with Aurore might depend on it, said: "She means it, Sire. I think it would be wisest to do what the girl asks. I heard she can be very stubborn and she threatened to break the room down. Really, it might just be a simple question only your Majesty can answer. "  
To avoid screaming, hysterics or anything else the girl might do he went to see her. As soon as he had entered the room he asked Aurore, "Why did you want to see me? Is there a problem?"  
"Please, Your Majesty, why do you want me to marry the prince?"  
"You tried on the shoe and it fitted. That makes you my son's bride. That's final."  
As the girls had agreed earlier Aurore showed her left foot and Cindy showed her right foot.  
"Which one of us is the prince's bride, Sire?"  
"The one who tried on the shoe that we found on the stairs. The other shoe can be a fake."  
"I tried the shoe on and it fitted me. That's why I was brought here. Now my sister is wearing it and it fits her even better. Does that make us both your son's bride, Sire?"  
"Of course not. You two obviously have the complete pair, so one of you is my son's mysterious queen. He must choose between you."  
The prince was called for. The king had told the girls to hide and come out when he called them.

When the prince had entered the room, very much against his inclination, the king told him about the problem.  
"We have two girls who can wear the shoe that you found. One of them will be your wife. Now you must choose between them."  
"I'm sure you could find a whole regiment of girls that the shoe fits. I want only one, the right one."  
"You can have one of these two. Choose or I will choose for you."  
Then the king called out for the girls to show themselves. The girls appeared from behind a screen. No sooner had the prince seen them or…  
"Cindy?"  
Why was she here, how did she get here? The prince was totally confused. All the feelings he had had for Cindy came flooding back. He looked into her eyes. A song started to intrude his thoughts; the music of the first dance with his queen. She had looked at him just like this. Just …like …  
"Cindy! You are my queen!" It was a cry of joy.  
Eric put his arm around Cindy and led her to his father.  
"Father this is my bride! I'll marry this girl with all my heart. I realise that she is only a teacher or a governess and not a queen, but I love her and want no other."  
"Hmm, a teacher. I thought she was a lady's maid. That is why she was brought to the palace."  
The King turned to Aurore. "And you asked for her. Can you explain this, young lady?"  
"Yes, Your Majesty. We are neither teachers nor governesses. And Cindy isn't my maid. It was the only thing I could think of to get her here. I had to deceive our stepmother. This is Sandrine du Bellefleur, only daughter of the Count du Bellefleur."

Then Aurore told the king how the Countess had used Cindy after the disappearance of the count. Immediately the king decided that the Countess could no longer be guardian to Cindy and he sent her with Aurore to his sister where they stayed until Cindy married Prince Eric.

* * *

Because this is a fairy tale there was some more wonderful news for Cindy even before the wedding. Her father was still alive and on his way back. The ship had been in a terrible storm and was stranded on an island severely damaged. Without the necessary supplies it had been difficult to get the vessel safely on dry ground. Repairing it had been just as difficult. Eventually, slowly the ship sailed away from the island. Luckily there had not been another storm and they had reached a port, far away from their original destination. There the count was waiting for his ship to be properly repaired when he unexpectedly was offered passage on a ship that was going home. He was back in time for his daughter's wedding and Cindy walked down the aisle on her father's arm, happier than she had been in years.

When the Count heard how his wife had treated his daughter, he immediately divorced her. She left the house with her daughters and all the clothes and jewellery that they had acquired during the marriage. The former countess considered Bernardine was the daughter with the best chance to catch a good husband, so Clotilde was now used as a Cinderella. She soon realised what an angel her stepsister had been. The moment Clotilde thought that she knew enough about running a household she left her mother's house to became the housekeeper of a bachelor. Two years later she married her employer, who was fifteen years her senior. Despite what anyone might think, Clotilde became a happy wife and mother.  
Bernardine never married. She and her mother became vinegary old woman who made each other's lives a living hell.

Conrad and Aurore stayed in the castle as personal servant and lady-in-waiting to Eric and Cindy. One day they disappeared and nobody saw them again, which started the story of a fairy godmother that had helped Cinderella to get to the ball.

Later Eric and Cindy were invited to the marriage of the crown prince of a neighbouring country. They got a big surprise when they saw the young couple. From then on there were regular visits official and unofficial between the young royals of the two countries. The four of them always remained the best of friends…

but that is another story.

THE END


End file.
